In this episode, I reflect on a classroom moment where a student clearly understood a science concept verbally but struggled to express that understanding in written form. That experience pushed me to think more deeply about what learning actually looks like and how schools often rely heavily on traditional measures that may not always fully capture understanding.
I unpack the idea that learning is bigger than worksheets, written responses, and test scores alone. Students can demonstrate understanding through discussion, collaboration, creativity, projects, problem-solving, and verbal reasoning. As education continues evolving, teachers must think more carefully about how authentic learning is recognized and measured.
This connects directly to the growing changes happening in education because AI, digital tools, and evolving learning environments are forcing schools to ask deeper questions about understanding, assessment, and student growth. I discuss why process, observation, conversation, and teacher judgment still matter deeply in helping educators build a fuller picture of what students actually know and can do.
At the end of the day, I believe learning is more complex than a single score or polished final product. Students need multiple ways to demonstrate understanding, and teachers play a critical role in recognizing authentic growth. As education changes, we may need to become more flexible and thoughtful about what learning looks like now.
Show Notes
Learning beyond written output
Verbal understanding and assessment
AI and changing education
Process vs. final product
Multiple ways to demonstrate learning
Teacher judgment and authentic understanding
Key Takeaways
Learning is bigger than written responses
Students demonstrate understanding differently
Process matters alongside final products
AI is reshaping conversations about learning
Teacher judgment still matters deeply
Transcripts
Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve:
This is Mr. Funky Teacher with BeAFunkyTeacher.com. I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast. Welcome back everyone. Today's episode is called What Learning Looks Like Now.
There was a moment recently during science where a student understood the concept. He knew he understood it. He could explain it verbally. He could talk it through. He could describe what was happening and why.
But when it came time to write the answer, he struggled.
And in that moment, I had to think about something.
What does learning actually look like?
Because sometimes understanding is there even when it doesn't show up in a traditional way.
Well, before we get into it, I want to ground myself in gratitude. Here are three things that I'm thankful for.
The first thing that I'm thankful for is warmer days.
After long stretches of cold weather, those warmer days just bring a different kind of energy.
The second thing that I'm thankful for is stepping outside, taking a breath, and feeling the air. That reset matters.
And the third thing that I'm thankful for is hugs from my wife.
Simple moments of connection and comfort that matter more than we sometimes say out loud.
Well, let's get back into the main topic.
For a long time, learning has often been connected to visible output.
A worksheet, a test, a written response.
And those things can matter.
But the world is changing, and the way learning shows up is changing too.
So the topic that we are focusing on once again is What Learning Looks Like Now.
Learning is bigger than written output.
Sometimes students understand something deeply but struggle to show it traditionally.
That distinction matters.
Recognizing that distinction matters because writing is one form of communication, not the only form of understanding.
A student explaining an idea verbally can reveal real learning, even if the written response falls short.
Understanding can show up in different ways.
Through discussion, through projects, through creativity, through problem solving.
Learning is not always one dimensional, and students do not all express understanding the same way.
That flexibility that we have to recognize matters because students are different.
Students are different.
And we have to bring that recognition into our classroom.
Assessment should help reveal thinking.
The goal is not just completion, it's understanding.
Assessment should help us see thinking, reasoning, and processing.
That's what matters most.
Not just whether something looks polished, but whether understanding is actually there.
That's really what it's about.
Traditional measures still have limitations.
A test score tells part of the story, only part of the story, not the whole story.
Some students communicate better verbally, others visually, others through action.
That doesn't mean rigor disappears.
It means that we think more carefully about what we are truly measuring.
And AI is forcing education to rethink learning.
Students now have access to tools, information, and support systems faster than ever before.
And that changes the landscape.
It forces schools to ask deeper questions about what authentic understanding actually looks like.
You can generate an answer quickly, but that doesn't always mean you understand it.
That's something schools really have to think about, confront, and ask themselves.
What is real understanding?
What is real learning?
And conversation reveals understanding.
Sometimes students explain ideas better verbally, in discussion, and in real time.
You hear thinking, connections, misconceptions, and reasoning.
That conversation matters because it reveals depth.
And students should get credit for that understanding in those conversations.
That should count when you're collecting a body of evidence and building a student's body of evidence of learning.
It should not only be something shown on a piece of paper.
Learning is becoming more visible through process.
Watching students think matters.
Seeing how they approach something, how they adjust, revise, and collaborate.
That process tells us something important, sometimes more than the final product alone.
Sure, the end product is one piece of it.
But the journey of learning, the process, is critical.
You can't ignore the process of learning and the journey along the way.
Learning is not just about where students are at the end of the school year.
The journey is critical.
The process matters.
And students need multiple ways to demonstrate learning.
Not every student shines in the same format.
Giving different opportunities and different pathways creates a fuller picture of what students actually know and what they can actually do.
So I'll go back again to that body of evidence.
If you're collecting data on students, which we should be as educators, it should not just be the same types of data points collected over and over.
And still, teachers need to use judgment.
This is where teachers matter deeply.
Judgment, observation, knowing students, seeing growth over time.
That human understanding matters because learning is more complex than a single score.
That's where it gets into the reality that we need trained teachers who understand both the art and science of teaching.
It's not just about collecting data points.
It's so much more than that.
So judgment is critical in this.
And the goal is authentic understanding.
It's not just performance.
It's not just completion of an assignment or a test, but real understanding, real thinking, and real growth.
That's what learning should move toward.
It absolutely has to, especially in this changing world.
What learning looks like now may not always look like the way it used to.
And that's okay.
And it is going to continue to change and evolve.
As I do a reflective close here, I want to say that as education changes, I think we've been pushed to ask better questions.
Not just can students produce an answer, but do they actually understand?
Because those are not always the same thing.
And maybe part of moving forward is being willing to see learning more clearly, more fully, and more honestly.
So keep looking deeper.
Keep paying attention to how students think.
Because sometimes real learning is there, even when it doesn't show up in the expected way.
Well, if you found value in this episode, head on over to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcast and hit me up with a five star review and let me know what you think. It helps more teachers to find this space.
And as you go into your day, I want you to remember to inspire greatness in young people.
